Starting in 2000, Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTO) began moving much of their pot growing operations from Mexico into remote regions within the United States. This dramatic change is easily recognized by the ever-larger pot grows eradicated within Mendocino County by the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting. In 2000, the number of plants seized by law enforcement across the United States was about 2.8 million plants. In 2006, there were nearly 4.5 million plants seized across the country of those 256,000 came from Mendocino County. This season there have already been nearly 240,000 plants removed from 211 sites in Mendocino County.

The US Department of Justice believes the Mexican DTOs shifted growing operations out of Mexico to reduce the risk of seizure during border crossings, to gain direct access to US drug markets and to grow higher quality marijuana with the associated higher profit margins.

While 2006 and 2007 marijuana raids by law enforcement have netted many more plants than in prior years, the Mexican growers appear committed to continue growing operations in the United States. The USDOJ has reported some changes apparently in response to the increased seizures.

While the Mexican drug traffickers continue to grow most of their marijuana in remote areas in California, Washington and Oregon, they have begun to spread out into other remote areas across the country, such as Idaho, Arizona and as far east as North Carolina and Tennessee. Although some decentralization has occurred, California remains the major grow site for Mexican DTOs. In 2006, only 16,000 more plants were seized from Washington and Oregon combined than were seized from Mendocino County.

Some growers are shifting from the ideal growing sites in the coastal range to harsher growing areas in the inland foothills. Since the gardens require irrigation, growers are collecting water from springs and year-round streams and piping the water to the grow site. This practice typically dries up downstream streams and wetlands.

Some growers are changing from a single planting to two plantings per season, using faster maturing varieties. These growers plant seedlings early in the season; harvest in late June; and replant for an additional harvest as late as October. Where eradication efforts are most active, growers are harvesting the entire crop, including immature plants as early as July to avoid the peak eradication period.

Mendocino National Forest had 405,000 plants eradicated in 2006, dwarfing the take in all other National Forests. San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California at 158,000 plants came in a distant second. The Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky was third at 149,000 plants.

Vigorous eradication of outdoor grows has pushed many, primarily the independent growers, into indoor marijuana cultivation. The advantage of indoor cultivation is the four to six harvests per year; the higher prices paid for higher quality bud; and reduced chance of raids. Mid-grade domestic marijuana in 2006 sold for $700 to $750 per pound in Los Angeles while high potency marijuana commanded $2,500 to $6,000 per pound.